Just last season, Scott Van Pelt received the honor of throwing out the first pitch for his favorite team, the Baltimore Orioles, in Game 1 of their Wild Card series against the Kansas City Royals. Nine months later, the direction of the organization could be more different, which was highlighted by the team’s moves at the 2025 MLB trade deadline on Thursday.
Despite coming into the 2025 season with high expectations, the Orioles have floundered to the tune of a 50-59 season thus far, sitting at the very bottom of the AL East standings. At the deadline, the Orioles unloaded just about everyone who wasn’t under team control for the Orioles or part of the team’s long-term plans.
And while Van Pelt understood the decision to do this, he did question whether his favorite team could have done anything differently to prevent this outcome.
“Two years after winning the division, Baltimore punts at the deadline,” wrote Van Pelt in a post on X. “Had to be done. Sure. I get it. Injuries were insane early and it was too far gone. But how this was the plan for 2025 is beyond me. What WAS the plan, exactly? Hard to squander the goodwill more swiftly.”
Two years after winning the division, Baltimore punts at the deadline. Had to be done. Sure. I get it. Injuries were insane early and it was too far gone.
But how this was the plan for 2025 is beyond me. What WAS the plan, exactly? Hard to squander the goodwill more swiftly.
— Scott Van Pelt (@notthefakeSVP) August 1, 2025
Van Pelt suffered through some dark days for the Orioles after the organization parted ways with Manny Machado in 2018. The team lost 115 games in 2018, 108 in 2019 and 110 in 2021. So it’s safe to say that no matter how bad things get for the Orioles moving forward, he will remain a devoted fan for life.
But in Van Pelt’s defense, it is indeed incredibly baffling to think about how the Orioles have gotten to this point after reaching the postseason each of the last two years. Sometimes it is harder to watch a talented team fall apart than watch a miserable team that had no expectations be miserable.
Maybe this potentially serves as a reset button for the organization as we approach the home stretch of the 2025 MLB season. But either way, it is quite clear that the Orioles organization is clearly at a bit of a crossroads for years to come after the 2025 MLB trade deadline.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.